Greenpeace activists stop oil drilling for second time in one week

Just before being arrested today, Greenpeace oil campaigner Ben Ayliffe radioed the nearby Greenpeace ship Esperanza from the oil rig he and 17 activists had boarded:

“We have met with the drill manager and requested a copy of the oil spill plan, which we assume he has on board, yet once again we have been refused even sight of it. What is Cairn Energy trying to hide? We have phoned, written, faxed, emailed and now even paid a visit to the rig to get a plan that should be in the public domain and should be subject to independent verification and public scrutiny."

It’s a reasonable request but one that Cairn clearly seems unwilling or unable to comply with. Perhaps that’s because their plan, if they have one, is insufficient.

The reality is that even if it does exist there is no way a BP-style deep sea blow out could be cleaned up in this remote and fragile environment. There is no way such a plan could provide assurances that the environment and Greenland’s fishing industry would not be decimated.

One of the last to be removed from the rig by police was Andreas Bergstrom. He and three others locked themselves in crane cabs to remain on the rig as long as possible.

Andreas is an Arctic guide who lives in Svalbard and for him the campaign to stop oil drilling in the Arctic is personal. He knows better than most what there is to lose in the event of an accident.

While locked into the crane he was also in radio contact with the Esperanza and had this to say:

“We scaled this rig to demand the oil spill response plan but they’ve refused to even tell us if they have one. Cairn Energy are simply unable to tell the world how they’d deal with a BP-style Arctic spill, so we’re going to stay here and stop them drilling for as long as we can. While I’m in this crane cabin this beautiful fragile environment is safe from this deep water oil rig. The only guarantee of safety is for the drills to be shut down permanently.”

Together the 18 activists stopped drilling for 8 hours today which, along with Luke and Hannah’s efforts earlier in the week, is a great effort - but drilling needs to stop altogether here in the Arctic. Our week of action has, as well as stopping the drilling for a time, brought the issue into stark focus on the international stage.

So back on the Esperanza and the Arctic Sunrise we are extremely proud of our friends and crewmates. They’ve risked their freedom to make a stand for the Arctic and that’s no small thing.

That’s the end for today - but it’s not over by a long shot.

This is too important for us to let the reckless greed of oil companies ride roughshod over common sense.

As the global temperature climbs and the ice melts, we should not be using that as an opportunity to press ever further towards the ends of the earth in search of every last drop of oil. Instead we should focus our efforts on developing clean renewable energy and fuel efficiency. We must ease our addiction to oil before it’s too late.

Cairn is now seeking an injunction against Greenpeace claiming that the pod protest hindered operations. Cairn argues that every day the rig is prevented from drilling costs the company up to US$4 million. If granted, the injunction would mean Greenpeace would have to pay 2 million Euros in fines for every subsequent breach and every day we stop the Leiv Eiriksson operating. The case will be heard in a Dutch court on Monday.

Post a comment

OPTIONAL: Sign in now and avoid filling in forms! Not registered?
Sign up here
or login via facebook or google.

(Unregistered) Daithesci
says:

Comment from the government of Greenland:
http://uk.nanoq.gl/Emner/News/News_from_Government/2011/05/olieboringer.aspx

"Greenl...

Comment from the government of Greenland:
http://uk.nanoq.gl/Emner/News/News_from_Government/2011/05/olieboringer.aspx

"Greenland never relaxes safety requirements for oil drilling

Recently some media have alleged that Greenland relaxed safety rules in connection with oil exploration drilling in Greenland waters.

The following should be stressed in connection with these claims: Greenland imposes numerous and extensive safety requirements for offshore operations, including:

To operate within the best international standards, including and primarily the Norwegian NORSOK standards, other North Sea standards as well as Arctic standards and regulations. These regulations are among the most stringent in the world.
The presence of two drilling units in Greenland waters, so that, a relief well can be implemented immediately, if necessary.
The most stringent requirements for the drilling units’ Blow Out Preventer (BOP) systems.
Emergency response plans for managing e.g. oil spills, drilling relief wells, ice and iceberg management as well as for serious accidents.
In addition to the company’s emergency response, each drilling unit and all support vessels must have prepared their own emergency response plans, which are linked directly to the company plans.
Moreover, drilling units are required to have an approved Acknowledgement of Compliance (AoC) from the Petroleum Safety Authority Norway or a Safety Case from the British Health and Safety Executive. This is also required by the Norwegian and British petroleum authorities for drilling units.
Greenland authorities conduct an active supervision and inspection policy to ensure that activities are executed in compliance with requirements and standards. This includes supervision of each drilling unit at least once a month, as well as every time a well is to be drilled and in connection with all well closures. The Greenland frequency of supervision is therefore much higher than seen elsewhere.
The oil drilling rigs used in Greenland waters in 2011 have been specially designed to carry out drilling at significantly greater sea depths than are actually being drilled in Greenland. These rigs can drill down to about 2,200m and 3,000m. The drilling company Ocean Rig has conducted a total of 79 deepwater drilling operations.

“Greenland is leading the way in requirements for securing operations when drilling for oil and gas offshore Greenland. Therefore, it is incorrect when some media claim that Greenland is relaxing safety requirements in connection with oil drilling in Greenland waters”, said Ove Karl Berthelsen, Minister for Industry and Mineral Resources.

Furthermore, Greenland authorities are constantly monitoring new or revised international standards, acts and regulations. Greenland authorities are also in close contact with international, specialist companies regarding emergency response, general drilling operations and deepwater drilling.

“Finally, it must be kept in mind that actually deepwater drilling has been carried out since the accident in the Gulf of Mexico. In summer 2010, deepwater drilling was carried out offshore East Canada, in the Norwegian Sea and off the Faeroe Islands. This means that Naalakkersuisut’s approvals of exploration drilling are completely in line with those of our neighbours; our safety requirements are first class”, said Ove Karl Berthelsen"

Post a comment

OPTIONAL: Sign in now and avoid filling in forms! Not registered?
Sign up here
or login via facebook or google.

(Unregistered) Daithesci
says:

From Greenland's Bureau of Minerals and Petroleum
http://www.bmp.gl/petroleum/emergency-response

"The BMP has developed an Eme...

From Greenland's Bureau of Minerals and Petroleum
http://www.bmp.gl/petroleum/emergency-response

"The BMP has developed an Emergency Management Programme for Hydrocarbon Activities in Greenland with the purpose of being able to:

Establish a prompt and coordinated response to an incident or emergency which occurs at any facility or operation regulated by the BMP
Promote safety and security and assure compliance with regulatory requirements in order to protect the public, the workers, the environment and property during the life cycle of facilities and operations; and
Have a documented set of procedures that accomplish these objectives.

Post a comment

OPTIONAL: Sign in now and avoid filling in forms! Not registered?
Sign up here
or login via facebook or google.

Knud Seblon
says:

From Nuuk, Greenland.

This kind of demonstration began in the early 80, s in Copenhagen, where a number of young people without wo...

From Nuuk, Greenland.

This kind of demonstration began in the early 80, s in Copenhagen, where a number of young people without work or had a place to live did bz action.
The Danish wing of the organization may have much to say when Greenpeace spends so much of its resources in Greenland with old danish methods from 80, the bz-time.
A very unupdate protest form who do not gaining ground in today's highly developed democracy in Greenland. A protest form that no longer creates global headlines.
Old fashioned, yes it must be said when Greenpeace last year came to Greenland and was totally unprepared for the debate culture and was unable to stand against today's requirements for communication and debate in Greenland. It was actually a big flop. Here we thought came a large international organization who were experts in media and communications.
During the media debate last year I had a feeling of Greenpeace was a rigid body with high hierarchy system.
Again a sign of an organization that has not come very far from 80, protes form. This year they are more prepare but it is still not convincing to todays Greenlandic well develop democracy, ethics, morality and common sense.

Greenpeace has forgotten one factor in its miscalkulations:
Inuit cool invincibility through 4000 years in one of the world's extreme nature.
The Inuit are a people who have been able to adapt to an extreme and changeable nature through the ages and years.Why Today´s Greenland is; Hydropower Energy supply at large national scale, hydrogen production and other research in Arctic alternative energy. Greenland is actually global pioneer in green energy. Seafood production as one of europas biggest firms.
Greenland will one day be at great nation,with or without oil, but not only in cool metal, but olso high morals and ethics and common sense which is a natural part of people who originates from indigenous peoples.

Post a comment

To post a comment you need to be signed in.

OPTIONAL: Sign in now and avoid filling in forms! Not registered?
Sign up here
or login via facebook or google.

Andrew Davies
says:

Daithesci - I just don't share your faith in the oil industry's commitment to responsible behavior. They've show time and time again (all over the world) they are willing to roll the dice for a payoff.

And governments are too often not willing to give them the real scrutiny needed.

Knud - Nothing but respect for Greenland. This is about the oil industry. As you point out, the fishing industry is very important to Greenland. And that's one of the things that's at risk if there's a big spill.

Post a comment

OPTIONAL: Sign in now and avoid filling in forms! Not registered?
Sign up here
or login via facebook or google.

my12strings
says:

Northwest Alaska will be facing a similar fate with the possible offshore extraction of pretroleum - but as people that are very dependent of subsista...

Northwest Alaska will be facing a similar fate with the possible offshore extraction of pretroleum - but as people that are very dependent of subsistance way of life it is very unnerving to even hear of the possibility of petroleum extraction and a potential for an environmental catastrophe that would affect marine mammals, birds, crabs, and fish populations.... Accidents do happen, and the repercussions for the local ecologies are synergistic effecting the entire trophic level for many years --- I do not have any faith in the entire petro industry as far as environmental stewardship is concerned --- as past accidents / clean up efforst have shown and ongoin permit violations has showned --- always hoping that the this generation and the next will provide additional creativity to handle accidental oil spills, and development of alternative energy sources.

Post a comment

OPTIONAL: Sign in now and avoid filling in forms! Not registered?
Sign up here
or login via facebook or google.

Knud Seblon
says:

@Andrew Davies

To Go play somewhere else questions:
What viable income structure do you see for Greenland as an alternative to oi...

@Andrew Davies

To Go play somewhere else questions:
What viable income structure do you see for Greenland as an alternative to oil?

You says: I'll admit I am also not an economist, so I don't have an answer for you.

But it's Greenpeace jop for the second time in history to take Greenlands economic future in jeopardy without ever having to come up with alternatives for how it should be developed.
So my fundamental view of Greenpeace is:
some bz-types from 80, the Copenhagen without any deeper content construtivitet or economic developing targets for Greenland.
Only aggressive destructiveness without contents against a indigenous peoples.

Post a comment

OPTIONAL: Sign in now and avoid filling in forms! Not registered?
Sign up here
or login via facebook or google.

(Unregistered) Daithesci
says:

Dear Andrew,

"I just don't share your faith in the oil industry's commitment to responsible behavior. They've show time and time again (all over the world) they are willing to roll the dice for a payoff.

And governments are too often not willing to give them the real scrutiny needed. "

Ahh. So it's a conspiracy by the evil oil men to destroy the environment? That's clearly rubbish. Why? Because firstly spills are bad for business. Secondly owners of responsible business adhere to standards. Don't compare standards of oil drilling of third world countries with drillings by European countries with high standards and the NORSOK standards applied here are some of the most stringent in the world:
http://bmp.gl/images/stories/petroleum/NORSOK_D010.pdf

The Environmental Impact Assessment has been submitted to the authorities. The Guidelines for these can be found here:
http://bmp.gl/images/stories/petroleum/BMP_EIA_Guidelines_stratigraphic_drilling.pdf
and
http://bmp.gl/images/stories/petroleum/BMP_EIA_Guidelines_Jan_2011.pdf

If Greenpeace don't like OIL. They should s.t.o.p. u.s.i.n.g. O.I.L. themselves. It's pure hypocrisy to campaign about oil from an 5000+HP Oil powered boat.